


Extracurricular Activities

by susieboo



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Blind Date, Cute Ending, Dancing, Double Dating, Drunken Confessions, Drunkenness, Everyone Is Alive, F/F, Femslash, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, High School, Hollstein - Freeform, Hollstein Smut, Humor, Jock Carmilla, Love/Hate, Matchmaking, Nerd Laura, Party, Partying, Prom, Secret Relationship, Sexting, Shower Sex, Slow Dancing, Smut, Sports, Studying, Tutoring, everyone is happy, hollstein fluff, nerd/jock
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-28 16:56:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5098229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/susieboo/pseuds/susieboo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura Hollis is a junior at Silas High, and has never been noticed by Carmilla Karnstein, a senior in a few of her classes. But now, the two may need each other. Laura's failing gym, and Carmilla will be kicked off the track team if her English grade doesn't go up. During the last semester of school, Carmilla and Laura endure studying for tests and workout sessions together, going from being barely civil, to being much, much closer friends...</p>
<p>Meanwhile, her friend Perry is determined to make sure everyone ends the school year happily, with a date to prom. What she doesn't know is that all her friends are conspiring to set her up with her coworker Mattie. Who happens to be Carmilla's sister.</p>
<p>High school still sucks, but things are about to get way more interesting.</p>
<p>[High school, everyone's a human AU. Multichap. Fluff, humor and smut. Hollstein is the main focus, but there's some Zeta Society, Permonde and LaFlashdrive in the background.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Capture the Flag

For being the principal's daughter, Carmilla had never given much attention to her studies. Just about the only class she ever actually _tried_ in was gym. She did okay in foreign languages, women's studies, and history, always having had a natural affinity for those subjects, and she scraped by in science and math by coping off of her classmate LaFonatine, but in English, she was tanking. Badly. She'd managed to avoid thinking about it until the beginning of the second semester of her senior year. She'd been snoozing through physics class, as always, when her mother's voice blared over the speakers.

_"Carmilla Karnstein to the front office. Carmilla Karnstein to the front office."_

Carmilla lifted her head off her desk, every eye in the room on her. She glared at them all, to which her classmates responded by quickly pretending to go back to reading or writing. Carmilla couldn't help but be pleased at the fact that they were all a little afraid of her. No one messed with Carmilla Karnstein, not if you wanted to keep your teeth, anyway. 

She stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder, having the distinct feeling that she was about to be on the receiving end of a lecture. This was a feeling she'd grown very familiar with ever since she started attending her mother's school - her sister, Mattie, had warned her about it. They had both begged, on separate occasions, to attend one of the other, various public schools in the area, but their mother, Lilita, had nixed the idea. They would go to Silas High, and they would be damn grateful for it.

(They weren't. Like, at all.)

Ever since Mattie had graduated two years ago, the only person at Silas that was even sort of Carmilla's friend was J.P., who was on the men's track team. (Carmilla was on the women's track team, and the two often practiced together.) "Friends" was probably a bit of a strong word for them. They tolerated each other, at least. For Carmilla, tolerating someone was _huge_.

Carmilla wondered what she'd done this time to incur her mother's wrath. It seemed like she was getting a lecture every other day for something she'd done (or hadn't done). Lilita never yelled - but Carmilla honestly would've preferred it if she had. The cold, condescending, "I'm-disappointed-in-you" tone she reserved for lectures was almost unbearable, and made her want to rip her hair out.

She didn't bother to say anything to the secretary as she walked into the front office, already in a rotten mood as she approached her mother's office. 

Her mother was waiting for her, plainly just as unhappy to be having this conversation as Carmilla. 

"Sit down," she said, not bothering with pleasantries.

Carmilla, realizing she didn't have much of a choice, and wanting to get this over with as quickly as she could, plunked herself down in the wooden chair across from her mother's desk. Lilita had several pictures of her children, Carmilla, Mattie, and William, and many of them looked like they were a happy family. A few years ago, they _had_ been a happy family. But that was before Carmilla and Mattie had grown up, and realized what kind of person their mother really was. They'd been less fond of Mommy Dearest ever since then. Their brother, a junior, still practically worshiped the ground she walked on, but Mattie had moved out the second she was old enough that Lilita couldn't stop her, and Carmilla planned to do the same as soon as she graduated.

"Carmilla, do you know why I called you down here?"

"If I did, I may have been able to come up with a viable excuse to get out of it."

"Don't take that tone with me," she said, with a slight bite to her voice, which she didn't raise any louder than she had to in order to be heard. "Carmilla, you know I am very justly proud of my position here at this school, and I have an image to uphold."

"What sort of 'image' can possible come with a public school in--"

Lilita cut her off. "That image includes _you_ ," she said. "Whether you like it or not, part of your job is to help me keep my good reputation."

Carmilla didn't say anything, but she had a pretty good idea of where this was going.

"What kind of image do you think it projects if a school principal has a daughter that's not passing English?"

Carmilla shrugged. "Maybe one that you're not very good at your job," she suggested innocently.

Lilita's eyes flashed with venom. "Carmilla," she said, "I can't stand idly by and let you act so flippant towards your studies. My colleagues are starting to talk. Now, I know a child as ungrateful as you--" This pissed Carmilla off so much that she sat up in her seat, opening her mouth to argue, but Lilita kept talking. "--won't improve herself just to help out her mother, so I'm adding some extra incentive for you. Get your grade up to passing or you're off the track team."

"What? Oh, come on!" she said, fully prepared to argue even though arguing with Lilita was, by definition, pointless. "You're the one that told me to join a club or team!"

"And now I'm telling you to get yourself together."

"They won't cut me from the team," Carmilla said. "I'm the fastest one."

"Oh, they will for me," Lilita replied, which Carmilla knew perfectly well was true. "So I suggest you hit the books." She turned away from her daughter then, going back to her computer. "Figure it out, Carmilla. You may go."

Angrier than ever, Carmilla grabbed her bag, storming out, making sure to slam the door hard enough to shake the bookshelf as she went. Sitting in the chair outside the office, clearly having eavesdropped, was a short, wide-eyed girl Carmilla had gym with. She gave the girl her best withering look.

" _What_?" she spat.

The girl raised her hands defensively. "I didn't say a word," she said.

"Good," Carmilla muttered, walking off.

* * *

Laura wasn't entirely sure why she was called down to see Principal Morgan, but she was sure she hadn't done anything wrong. She was sitting outside her office, trying to figure out what she might be there for, when she heard Principal Morgan arguing with her daughter, Carmilla. She and Carmilla had three classes together - gym, English, and women's studies - but she doubted Carmilla even knew she existed. They ran with very different crowds, with the sole exception of LaFontaine's boyfriend J.P. _Everyone_ knew Carmilla, though - she was sort of hard to miss.

"Get your grade up to passing or you're off the track team."

"What? Oh, come on! You're the one that told me to join a club or team!"

Laura hesitated, before leaning a little closer to the door, trying to hear better, praying neither of them would decide to open the door just then. Angry Carmilla or pissed-off Principal Morgan... Laura wasn't sure which one would be worse.

"And now I'm telling you to get yourself together."

"They won't cut me from the team. I'm the fastest one."

"Oh, they will for me. So I suggest you hit the books. Figure it out, Carmilla. You may go."

She heard the sound of Carmilla pushing her chair back and grabbing her things. Oh, shit. Shit shit shit shit--

The door opened. Laura hoped against hope Carmilla wouldn't notice her.

" _What_?" 

Crap.

"I didn't say a word," Laura said.

"Good."

Carmilla left, leaving a vibe of anger and destruction in her wake.

A few seconds later, Principal Morgan came out of her office, clearly not happy with the way the conversation had gone, either.

"You can come in now," she said.

Laura nodded, quickly standing up and following her into her office. She sat down, nervous even though she was sure she hadn't actually done anything wrong.

"Did I--?"

"You're not in trouble," she said, cutting Laura off. Even so, Laura still felt on-edge. Principal Morgan had a way of making you feel like you were in trouble even when you weren't. "I just wanted to let you know you were the junior chosen to get the 'academic excellence' award for last semester. You should be very proud."

Laura relaxed, then. Of course it was something like that.

"Oh," she said, smiling a little. "Oh. That's great. Thanks."

"Come by the cafeteria tomorrow at lunch to get your picture taken for the newsletter, would you?"

"Sure."

"Good. You may go."

Laura did, eager to get away from the principal's office. No matter what you were there for, it always felt like a torture chamber. She quickly headed back down the hall to French class, thinking about the conversation she'd overheard a few minutes before. If Carmilla didn't get her English grade up, not only would she lose her spot on the track team, she'd probably have to repeat the year.

Of course, Laura's gym grade probably wasn't any better, so she couldn't judge. With the exception of the krav maga classes her father had forced her to take since childhood, athletics had never been her strong suit.

Then, the wheels in her head began to turn. An idea occurred to her - and it was just crazy enough to work.

She'd have to see what Carmilla thought of it in gym.

* * *

 

Gym class was a mixed bag for Laura. It was the only class she had with all her friends - Danny, Perry, LaFontaine, J.P. and (sort of) Kirsch - but she was hopeless at the actual gym part. Especially on days like today. All the snow had melted over break, and it was an unusually warm day for January, so, in an effort to enjoy the fresh air before it inevitably got cold again, the coach had everyone change into their cool-weather gym clothes and head outside for a game of Capture the Flag.

LaFontaine and Kirsch cast the others apologetic looks as they were put onto the Red Team with Carmilla, and headed off to the other side of the field. Laura, Perry, Danny and J.P. wrapped their blue scarves around their heads, arms or legs, Danny doing jumping jacks to warm up. She practically _lived_ for Capture the Flag. If there were such a thing as a Capture the Flag team, Laura didn't doubt that she'd drop her positions on the women's basketball and soccer teams for it. J.P. was an okay athlete, and was a fast runner, but he could've done without the sheer brutality of Capture the Flag. In his opinion, everyone else took it entirely too seriously. Perry was more or less in the same boat as Laura. She didn't like chasing or being chased, tackling or being tackled, tagging or being tagged, and she especially didn't like how freaking competitive people got over a stupid flag.

Laura had begged to be on the defense, but the team captain, Mel, stuck her as a runner, not even listening to her case ("I'm really slow and I get out of breath easily and I could snap in two if someone tackles me and--") before telling her to get out there. Reluctantly, and too afraid of Mel to argue, Laura went to the end of the Blue Team's side of the field, preparing for Hell.

The coach blew his whistle, and Laura and the other four runners on her team took off. 

Carmilla was assigned to guard the Red Team's jail, and she was apparently taking out her anger over the whole track situation on the Blue Team. Including Laura. The second Laura got with ten feet of the jail, Carmilla headed for her.

"Hi, Carmilla," Laura panted as she saw Carmilla running towards her, not even bothering to try to get away from her. "So I was hoping that before you beat me into a pulp, we could--"

Carmilla jumped on top of Laura, immediately bring Laura down onto the field, grass staining her skin and dirt getting all over her uniform.

The coach's whistle went off in a loud shriek. "KARNSTEIN!" he barked. "No tackling!"

"I'm okay..." Laura mumbled, half her face still in the dirt.

"Tag," Carmilla said impishly, getting off Laura and pulling her over to the jail, where she'd remain until someone tagged Carmilla, thus freeing all the "prisoners." Laura had a feeling she'd be there for a while, if only because everyone else was too afraid to go near her.

Sure enough, most of the Blue Team steered clear of the jail after witnessing Laura being brought down like a no one's business, which gave Laura and Carmilla some time to talk.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with your mom--"

"Oh, I just _bet_ you couldn't."

"--and I think I can help you."

Carmilla glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm good at English. I'm in the same class - I could tutor you if you wanted."

Carmilla hesitated. "...What's in it for you?"

"Help me train for gym."

"You're insane."

"Quite possibly. What do you say? Help me to help you?"

Carmilla paused, thinking it over. She didn't want a "study buddy", especially not one as talkative and naive as Laura Hollis. But she couldn't exactly get cut from track, either.

"Can you stay after track practice today?"

"I think so."

"Okay. Come to the gym, and we'll talk after practice."

Laura grinned.

"Don't think this means I'll go easy on you in this class, though," Carmilla snapped.

"Of course not."


	2. The Long Way Home

"You're going to try and tutor Carmilla Karnstein?" Danny said to Laura as they walked to Spanish class together. "What, are you tired of _living_?"

Laura sighed. She had kind of expected Danny to react this way. Carmilla didn't get along well with most of the student population of Silas High, but for some reason, she seemed to especially have it in for Danny. Laura couldn't imagine why - she and Danny had been close ever since Laura came to the class registration when starting her freshman year. Danny, who Laura later learned had been elected sophomore class president, had noticed how lost Laura was getting just trying to find where her classes would be, and had offered to show her around. Laura and Danny were great friends - but they didn't see eye-to-eye on everything. Like, for instance, this.

"I just think she could use some help," she said. "And I need her help, too, if I want to pass gym. It's an even trade-off."

"Yeah, not if she bites your head off! And if you needed help in gym, why didn't you just ask me?" There was a note of hurt in Danny's tone that Laura didn't quite pick up on.

"Danny, it's not that I don't love you, but... well..."

"...Well?"

"You can be a little - I dunno, intense?"

"Well, yeah, but good intense, right? ...Right?"

"...Um..." Laura shifted on her feet guiltily.

Danny tossed Laura an exasperated look, and Laura desperately tried to backtrack.

"Normally it's good intense! Great intense, even! But, um... you can be a little - forceful? Which is great when you're training with your team for the championships, but for me, I just need to pass. That's all I'm asking for. And Carmilla doesn't take it terribly seriously, so..."

"She's more your speed."

"Exactly." She paused. "...Hey!" Laura laughed a bit, nudging Danny.

Danny laughed, too, but said, "Look, I'm just saying, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Well, if this all blows up in my face, I'll mark you down for the first 'I told you so'," Laura said.

"Fair enough."

The bell rang, which sounded like a funeral march at Silas High, where it was common knowledge that being late to class could result in one of Principal Morgan's infamous tongue-lashings. Danny and Laura quickly hustled into class, plunking themselves down in their desks. Danny's mind was on Laura. Laura's was on Carmilla.

* * *

 

Lunchtime was spent on the stone floor of the hallway outside the library, the Silas High cafeteria not having enough tables to accommodate for all the students. J.P. sat with LaFontaine leaning against him, reading a large book that he had balanced in his lap. Laura sat next to them, chatting with LaFontaine about that week's science lesson, while Perry ate her lunch (as always, peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crusts cut off, an apple cut into twelve equal pieces, celery sticks, and exactly one serving of candy, and a carton of milk), reading some crafts magazine. Danny could've gotten any seat in the cafeteria she wanted, but ate on the floor with the others because of Laura. Kirsch, consequentially, was there because of Danny. This had been an unfortunate side effect of Danny's presence at first that the others had merely tolerated, but they quickly found that, beneath the frat boy douchebag exterior, Kirsch was actually very nice. If you kept him away from Theo and Will, two of his... not-so-nice buddies.

"You coming over with me to Perry's house after school, Laura?" LaFontaine asked. The three of them had had a standing date for "Animal Planet marathon" at Perry's house after school once a week for years, occasionally but not usually joined by the others.

Laura shook her head, unwrapping her fifth Hershey Kiss of the day. "I can't."

"Tell them why, Laura," Danny said.

" _Danny_..."

" _Laura_..." 

"What's going on?" Perry asked, looking up from her magazine. "You never miss an Animal Planet marathon unless you're deathly ill. You're not deathly ill, are you, Laura?"

"No, no, of course not--"

Perry wasn't listening, and had already placed a hand to Laura's forehead, fussing over her temperature and tutting things like "enough fluids" and "too many sweets not being good for her immune system."

"I'm not sick, Perry--Perry, I'm _fine_!" Laura laughed, pushing her friend away. "I'm just tutoring Carmilla Karnstein in English."

From the way everyone (sans Danny) looked at her, she may as well have told them she had cancer.

"What, are you tired of _living_?" LaFontaine asked.

" _Thank_ you!" Danny said.

Laura sighed. "It's not that big of a deal! I just - I just overheard Carmilla talking to her mom and apparently she's tanking English, and I'm tanking gym, so I told her maybe I could help her out."

"You eavesdropped on Karnstein _and_ Principal Morgan?" Kirsch said, clearly impressed. "You got balls, Hollis. ...I mean that literally, of course."

" _Metaphorically_ , Kirsch," Danny corrected.

"Right. Point is, Laura's hardcore if she managed to eavesdrop on Carmilla and her mom and get away alive."

"Oh, come on," Laura said, "they're not _that_ bad."

"They're pretty bad," LaFontaine said. "Principal Morgan probably bathes in the blood of virgins to retain her youth or something."

"Sus--LaFontaine, you _know_ that isn't true," Perry said, throwing a pointedly exasperated look in her friend's direction.

They shrugged. "Okay, but it has to be goat blood at _least_."

Perry opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it and snapped her mouth shut. LaFontaine smiled.

"I like Carmilla okay, but even I admit she's terrifying," J.P. said. "I wouldn't want her mad at me if you paid me."

"Look," Laura said, clearly exasperated with her friends' overdramatic reactions to her new study buddy, "can we talk about _anything_ else? Perry, don't you have that interview tomorrow?"

Perry perked up. "As a matter of fact, yes!" she said. "After school!"

"Hey, congrats!" Danny said, grinning at her. "At that dress shop, right?"

Perry nodded. "And if I get it, I bet I could get you discounts on your prom dresses!"

"Perr, most of us haven't even decided if we want to go to prom," LaFontaine pointed out.

"You guys!" Perry said, looking distressed. "I thought we agreed that we need to create as many memories as possible! None of us went to homecoming, and I want at least one picture of all of us together at a real dance, like normal people... Most of us are graduating soon, and... and..." She trailed off, blue eyes looking at all her friends.

LaFontaine's expression softened, and they glanced up at J.P. "Maybe we could change our plans," they suggested.

J.P. smiled. "I've never been to a dance," he said. "I may as well squeeze in just one before graduation."

Perry beamed.

Laura sighed. "I wish I could go with you guys," she said. As a junior, she was incredibly disgruntled that she wouldn't be able to attend senior prom with her best friends.

"You could get a date with a senior," Kirsch said.

"Yeah," LaFontaine agreed, "four months is enough time."

"I suppose, but... there's no one at this school I really like."

"That's what everyone says," Kirsch laughed. "Right before they meet someone they really like."

* * *

 

 Laura sat in the bleachers of the gym, watching the women's track team make their laps around the gym, keeping in shape even when the weather was, in Laura's opinion, unbearable. She alternated between watching the team and reading her book - _Dracula_ , for the tenth time - as she waited for practice to finish up so she could talk to Carmilla. She'd never much cared for athletics, and only ever attended games on occasion to support her friends. But every now and then, her gaze would look up from her book to watch the team go around and around the gym, again and again. Carmilla was leading the pack, sweat dripping down her face as she panted, strides ahead of the rest of her teammates. It was one of the few times Laura had ever seen her when she wasn't frowning. Laura had to smile a little bit to herself - Carmilla was much prettier when she was actually enjoying herself, instead of hating everything - which seemed to be her default state. Then, Carmilla would glance over at Laura, and Laura would quickly look back down at her book and pretend she wasn't watching her.

Laura had to admit that Carmilla was very beautiful. To herself, anyway. She wouldn't have admitted it to Carmilla for a thousand dollars. She could only imagine what Carmilla would say.

Finally, the coach blew her whistle, and told everyone to hit the showers and head home. Carmilla was in and out of the shower in three minutes, still toweling off her dark hair as she headed up the bleachers to stand in front of Laura.

"Okay, cupcake, we can talk on the way home."

"O-oh," Laura said, shoving her things into her bag, getting the sense that Carmilla wasn't exactly feeling patient. "Okay--okay. Do you want to get something to eat while we talk, or--?"

"I'd rather skip the pleasantries," Carmilla said, a bite to her voice. "You can walk with me on the way home and we'll reach an agreement then."

"You sound so eager to start," Laura said, half-sarcastic, half-intimidated.

Carmilla didn't say anything, grabbing her own bag from the seat next to Laura, and starting her way down the bleachers. All Laura could do was follow her, trying to keep up.

* * *

 

"So - I guess the first thing would be to figure out where and when we can meet," Laura said, practically having to jog in order to keep up with Carmilla. It was just cold enough that they wore coats, but at least Laura didn't have to wear mittens anymore, and all the snow had melted, making the ground damp and cold. "We could do gym stuff at school, I guess. Maybe we could meet at your house for--"

"No," Carmilla said immediately.

"No?"

"Not a chance in Hell."

"Why n--"

"No."

"But--"

"Look, creampuff, it's not possible, okay?" Carmilla snapped. Laura didn't say anything, too surprised to speak. She knew Carmilla was "prickly", as Perry called it, but she didn't think she'd be getting yelled at _already_. Finally, Carmilla softened just a little bit, and said, "How about we meet at the coffee shop down the block, okay? We can walk over together on days I don't have practice."

"...Okay," Laura said.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Looking at you like what?"

"Like I'm about to explode."

"'Cause you kinda just _did_."

Carmilla shot her an annoyed look. Laura smiled. Carmilla rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything.

"How often do you think we should meet for English tutoring?" Laura asked, stepping up onto a stone wall and walking alongside Carmilla, who remained on the sidewalk, holding out her arms like an airplane.

"I don't know - once, twice a week?"

"I'm not in any clubs, so any day is okay for me."

Carmilla paused, thinking it over. Mainly, she was going through her mother's schedule in her mind. When did she most want to get away from her?

"Mondays and Fridays?" Carmilla suggested, those two days generally being when Lilita was in her worst mood.

Laura, clearly not knowing about Carmilla's reasoning, nodded and said, "Okay. And maybe Wednesdays for gym training?"

"Sounds good to me." Carmilla glanced at her. "...You can leave now."

"...Oh," Laura said, trying to hide her disappointment. She kind of hoped Carmilla would invite her over.

Still, she stopped walking. 

"I guess I'll... see you at school, then."

"I guess you will."

"Bye... Carmilla."

"Bye, cupcake."

Carmilla hadn't even finished talking by the time she'd turned around and kept walking. Feeling an odd combination of deflated and encouraged, Laura turned around, starting her own way home.


End file.
